Cotton-separator.



J. Y. HUGHES.

COTTON SEPARATOR Patented Sept. 7, 1915.

fjvwenfoz COLUMBIA FLANOGRAPH 110., \VASHINGTON. D. c.

' ing' seed cotton,

tion p pe 7,

7 Quanah,

orrrcn JAMES Y. HUGHES, or Q'UANAH, TEXAS.

GOTTON-SEPARATOB.

Specification of Letters iatent.

Patented Sept. 7, 1915.

Application filed May 3, 1910. Serial No. 559,075; Renewed August 2, 1915. Serial No. 43,347.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JAMES Y. HUcHns, a citizen of the United States, residing at State of Texas, have invented new and useful Improvements in Cotton-Separators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to apparatus for cleaning seed cotton and separating the dust and dirt therefrom prior to the ginning operation.

Prior to my invention, there have been devices manufactured for the purpose of cleanin some of which revolving screens or sieves have been used to separate the dust in connection with revolving blades or blower attachments.

It is my purpose to improve upon all such prior devices with which I am aware, and to overcome the difficulties which have been encountered in using such cotton separators. My invention will be better understood from the following description in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which i Figure 1 is a vertical cross-section of an apparatts embodying my invention; and Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section on the line IIII of Fig. 1. p v

The cleaning apparatus comprises a main casing 1, divided by a vertical partition 2 having a plane unobstructed front face into two compartments, 3 and 4. A seed-cotton conveyor-flue 6, leads'into the cotton separator compartment 3, and an exhaust or sucin alinement with the flue 6, leads from the oppositewall of the dust compartment 4 and is connected to a suitable blower or suction-pump. The lower part of compartment 3 terminates in a chute 8, preferably located directly over-the beltdistributer 9, which conveys the cotton to the discharge hoppers l0 and 11, of the cotton gins. The compartment I has a closed bottom 12, which is preferably hinged as shown, for the removal of any dirt that may accumulate therein.

Revolubly mounted in a circular aperture in the partition 2, is a perforated separating wheel 14 having a plane unobstructed operating face, which may be rotated in any suitable manner, as by gearing connected with a shaft of the belt-distributer as shown in Fig. 1. It will be observed that the upper portion of this reticulated Wheel is a direct line between the conveyer-fiue 6, and the sucin the county of Hardemanand by centrifugal force and or blades.

tion-pipe 7, so that there will be a strong air-blast across the top portion of the wheel, whilethe lower portion will move in a practically dead-airspace. The result of this arrangement is to cause the seed-cotton forced through the conveyer-flue 6, to strike against the upper part of the revolving perforated wheel and to be held there by the strong suction from the pipe 7 directly Op 5' posit-' The strong air-blast against the cot- -ton as it is suddenly arrested against the "perforated wheel will effectually drive out the dust and dirt, most of carried through the chamber 4 and into the which will be suction-pipe 7 with the exhaust, some of the heavier particles falling down into the deadspace in the bottom of the chamber. As the wheel 14: revolves, the cotton adheres to it until it is carried down into the lower por tion of chamber 3, where there is practically no suction, the cotton being gravity upon the distributing belt 9.

The construction and arrangement of my separator wheel have a number of decided advantages over the prior devices. In such devices with which I am familiar, the separator,'whether stationary or revoluble, consists of a wire sieve, which causes great diificulty by reason of the wire meshes becoming clogged, the cotton entering the interstices and clinging tenaciously thereto. I have overcome this difliculty by employing a perforated metal disk or wheel, having a reticulated plane smooth surface from which the cotton readily slides oif as soon as the suction ceases.

Forthepurpose of overcoming some of the difiiculties encountered in the use of screens of wire-mesh, it has been proposed to provide the revoluble separator with vanes These, however, interfere with the free circulation of air in front of the separator wheel, which I have found to be essential, and also cause some injury to the cotton fiber by their impact. On the other hand, the smooth plane surface of my separator wheel causes no injury whatever to the cotton, and the entire surface is freely exposed and unobstructed. I wish also to call attention to another important advanta ge possessed by my arrangement. It will be observed that the separator wheel isin the plane of movement of the distributer belt and that adjacent portions of the wheel and belt revolve in the same direction, so

there thrown ofi' that the cotton is given an initial movement in the direction of movement of the belt as it is thrown off the wheel. There is, therefore, less liability of any injury to the cotton as it falls upon the moving belt. These sev-' eral features which result in the easier handling of the cotton, by which there is less liability to injury of the fibers, will be appreciated as very important by cotton-ginners and others familiar with this art.

If, at any time, the suction in the pipe 7 should be too great, this will be automatically relieved by a valve 19, which may be connected in the top or side Walls of the chamber l.

The operation of the separator may be inspected through the glazed sights 18.

In operation the seed-cotton is carried through the conveyor-flue 6, and is arrested by striking the upper portion of the separator wheel 14, the dust and dirt being drawn through the perforations and carried away in the suction-tube 7, the cotton being carried downwardly by the revolving wheel until out of the air-blast when it is thrown downwardly and in the direction of the moving distributer belt 9, by which it is carried to the bins '10, 11, leading to the gins. Inasmuch as the suction for the airblast is derived entirely from an outside source connected to the pipe 7, the separator wheel 14: may be revolved comparatively slowly. Furthermore, as the. chute 8 is arranged longitudinally of the distributer belt, it may have a large capacity and be capable of handling cotton for a number of gins.

In addition to the several important features which have been previously pointed out, other advantages of my separator will be apparent to those familiar with cotton machinery.

While I have described somewhat in detail the apparatus disclosed in the drawings, it will be evident to those skilled in this art that changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of my invention or the scope of my claims, which are 1. A cotton separator comprising a casing divided by a partition into two chambers, a perforated separator-wheel having a substantially plane unobstructed smooth operating surface and revoluble within an opening in said partition and in the plane thereof, one of said chambers having an opening for a conveyer-flue in its side wall and terminatlng at the bottom in a chute,

7 Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the substantially plane the other chamber having an opening in its wall for a suction-tube and having its bottom portion closed to form a dust receptacle, and means for operating said separator-Wheel.

2. In combination, a cotton separator comprising a casing having opposite walls connected respectively to a conveyer-fiue and to a suction-tube, a perforated separatorwheel revoluble within said casing having a plane unobstructed operating surface and havingits upper portion in alinement with said flue and tube, said casing terminating at the bottom in a chute, and a distributer belt cooperating with said chute and arranged to move in the plane of said separator-wheel and in the same direction as the adjacent portion thereof.

3. A cotton separator comprising a casing divided by a partition into two chambers, said partition having an opening therein, a conveyor flue entering the wall of one chamber and a suction tube entering the wall of the other chamber, said tubes being in alinement, a rotary screen having a plane unobstructed face operating within said opening and in alinement with said partition, said rotary screen being controlled independently of the blast supply, ter located beneath said casing and arranged to move in the plane of the screen, and

adapted to receive the cotton when thrown from the screen, said screen and distributer being operated by a common source of power whereby a constant and uniform relative speed is secured between the two.

4. A cotton separator, comprising a casing divided by a partition into two chambers, a perforated separator-wheel having a unobstructed smooth operating surface and revoluble within an opening in said partition, one of said chambers having an opening for aconveyer-fiue in its side wall and terminating at the bottom in a chute, and the other chamber having an opening in its wall for a suction-tube, and means for operating said separatorwheel. I

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

JAMES Y. HUGHES.

WVitnesses J. D. HUGHns, It. A. GHOATE.

Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. G. 

